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Bret Saberhagen
Bret William Saberhagen ( ; born April 11, 1964 in Chicago Heights, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. His nickname was 'Sabes.' Early years Bret Saberhagen attended Grover Cleveland High School, located in Reseda, California. Saberhagen starred in both basketball and baseball. In 1982, during Bret's senior year, he pitched a no-hitter and was the winning pitcher in the Los Angeles City Championship game, played at Dodger Stadium.http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1107278/index.htm Baseball career Saberhagen was drafted out of high school by the Kansas City Royals in the 19th round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft and made his Major League debut on April 4, . He made an immediate impact with the team, compiling a 10–11 record and a 3.48 ERA. The Royals made the postseason but lost to the Detroit Tigers. Saberhagen pitched well in his first postseason start, giving up two runs in 8 innings. In , the 21-year-old Saberhagen established himself as the ace of the staff, going 20–6 with a 2.87 ERA, leading the Royals to a World Series championship (and being named MVP of the Series along the way, pitching two complete games in the Series, including a shutout in Game 7), and winning the American League Cy Young Award. He was also the subject of much media attention during the Series as his wife gave birth to his first son, Drew William, on the same night of the infamous Don Denkinger call. Saberhagen developed an odd pattern of successful years in odd-numbered years (1985, , ) and poor performances in even-numbered years. In , he was 7–12 with a 4.12 ERA. In , another odd-numbered year, Saberhagen had an excellent year, going 18–10 with a 3.36 ERA. That record, however, was disappointing because Saberhagen had entered the All-Star break with a 15–3 record and another Cy Young Award seemingly in the bag. He pitched in the 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but he suffered a shoulder injury that hampered his second-half performance. In , the pattern continued as Saberhagen went 14–16 for the Royals with a 3.80 ERA, the second most losses in the American League. The following year, 1989, he showed flashes of his old brilliance by compiling a record of 23–6 with a 2.16 ERA, leading both leagues with 12 complete games, and finishing third in strikeouts. Before his July 26, 1989 start against the Boston Red Sox, Saberhagen had a record of 9–5. Over the next two months, he compiled a record of 14–1 with four shutouts. Only once in a game over that period did a team score more than two runs. He also led the league in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeout to walk ratio. For his efforts, Saberhagen won his second Cy Young Award as the American League's best pitcher. Despite a 5–7 record, Saberhagen was selected to the 1990 American League All-Star team, primarily due to his 1989 performance. Saberhagen rewarded the selection as the winning pitcher in the 2–0 American League triumph. Saberhagen only started one post All-Star game before being shelved for most of the rest of 1990 with an injury. In 1991, he went 13–8 with a 3.07 ERA and pitched a no-hitter against the White Sox on August 26, 1991 (the last in Royals history ). On December 11, 1991, he was traded along with Bill Pecota to the New York Mets in exchange for Kevin McReynolds, Gregg Jefferies, and Keith Miller. He posted several solid seasons, winning 14 games for the New York Mets in the strike shortened season and won 15 games for the Boston Red Sox in . Also in 1994, he had more wins than walks. No other pitcher (as of 2005) pitching more than 150 innings had accomplished this feat since . His stint with the Mets was not without controversy; on July 27, 1993, Saberhagen sprayed bleach into a group of reporters. After admitting his role in this incident, Saberhagen donated one day's pay to charity and apologized to fans and the media. In he joined the Colorado Rockies as a much-heralded ace. He struggled throughout the year, plagued by injuries and unable to adjust to the high altitude. While the Rockies made the playoffs as the National League Wild Card team, Saberhagen lost his only start, Game 4 of the NLDS when the Rockies were eliminated by the Braves on their way to a World Series win. After missing the entire season, Saberhagen attempted a comeback in but pitched in only three games. He retired at the end of the season. Post-playing career In , he was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. In 2006, Saberhagen was named to the 2007 ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He stated if he were voted in, he would not attend the ceremony because he believes Pete Rose should be inducted. Saberhagen finished with 7 votes, well short of the amount needed to stay on the ballot next year. In 2006, he began coaching the Calabasas High School Coyotes Varsity baseball team, in Calabasas, California. He was a primary contributor to the building of a first-class baseball field for the Varsity team there. His younger son Dalton played on the Freshman team at that time and Saberhagen's goal was to coach his son when he moved up to Varsity. However, a constant set of battles with the Las Virgines Unified School District administration--among other reasons--caused him to resign his coaching duties in October 2007. Prior to the 2008 season, Saberhagen returned as the head coach of the Calabasas Varsity baseball team. In 2007, Saberhagen became the Technical Director for the Dennis Miller Radio show. Saberhagen is referred to on the show as just 'Sabes' by Miller and his crew. Saberhagen also produces all of the sound bites used on the show and operates the sound board. Bret Saberhagen's Hit & Fun Bret Saberhagen at one time opened and operated a sports entertainment facility featuring Major League-caliber indoor batting cages, pitching mounds, bowling, laser tag, and arcade games. The sports center was located at 580 Montauk Highway in West Babylon, New York nearby Saberhagen’s Babylon, New York estate. The facility’s façade was shaped like Ebbets Field, the storied home of the Brooklyn Dodgers and designed by Steven Ray Fellman of Amityville, New York. See also * List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins * List of Major League Baseball ERA champions * List of Major League Baseball wins champions * Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time * List of Major League Baseball no-hitters References External links *Baseball Library *The Baseball Page *Bret Saberhagen's Make A Difference Foundation (Charity) Category:1985 Kansas City Royals World Series Championship Team Category:Cy Young Award winners Category:American League All-Stars Category:National League All-Stars Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Colorado Rockies players Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:Kansas City Royals players Category:Lowell Spinners players Category:Jacksonville Suns players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball players from Illinois Category:Major League Baseball pitchers who have pitched a no-hitter Category:New York Mets players Category:People from Chicago Heights, Illinois Category:American League ERA champions Category:American League wins champions Category:Starting Pitchers Category:Players